Silo-door.



A. H. RICE.

SIL() DOOR.

m'uwA'rloN FILED Nov 29 m? Patented July 29,1913.

2 SHEETS SHEET] A. H. RICE.

suo DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1912. 1,068,701 Patented July 29, 1913.

2 SHEBTSSHBET 2 ALBERT H. man, or ons Motivos, IOWA.

sirio-Doon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed July es, i913.l

Appiiation ined November 2e, 1912. Asemi No. 734,201.

To N 'ii-7mm it may concern Fig. 3

` le it ,known that I, ALBERT H. RICE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Des .Moinesv in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, haveinvented 'a certainlneivY and nseful Silo-Door, of which the following1s a specification.

The 'object of my invention isto provide a -silo door of simple, dnrableand inexpensive construction.

It is well known that in silo construction it is desirable to secure adoor so constructed and arranged with relation to the. frame, of thesilo as to all-ow for expansionand con traction.

It is, therefore, my object to provide a silo door so constructed andarranged as toprovide for this expansion and contraction.

More particularly, it is my object to provide a silo door havingslidable side members which may be adjusted with relation to the doorand to the silo wall and securely locked in positionvvhen ,the dooi` isinstalled. In this connection, it is my purpose to provide simple anddurable mechanism, for ope erating the sliding members of the sito doorsections. l

It is afurther object to provide a silo door Section 0f Simple, durableand inexpensixh'e construction, constructed and arranged to tit snuglyand lirmly the opening'in the silo Wall, said .door being preferably ofthe .typey having vertical members' and horizontai members, as shown inorder that itmay withstand moisture and expansion and contraction.

My invention yconsists in certain details, in the construction,arrangement and col'ibmation of the various parts o the device, Wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more 'fully setforth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, intvhich;

Figure l shows a from; elevation ot a. part of a. silo equipped withdoor sections embodying my invent-ion. Fig. 2 shows ver tical, transverse,'se.ti0nal view through thtA siloshovving my door sections from theside. shows a large. detail view of the means for operating the slidingside members of my door Figs. 4 and show detail. sectional views of mydoor sections. Fig. 6 shows a horizontal .sectional view of part'of thfsilo door and Wall, showing ineansby which `the sidemembers of t i doorare moved, and Fia. 7 shows a hormontal, sectional v1evv ot one ot mydoorsand part of the silo wall.

lln the accompanying drawingd have used the reference numeral lO'toindicate', generally, the stoves of the silo 4Wall which are heldtogether by means of the retaining bands or rods 11. The silo isprovided vvith the ordinary door opening, extending from top to bottom.The edges ot' the silo wall,

along the door opening, are preferably ness of the strips 14 and' 15 isapproximately the same as the thickness of the silo Wall members 10..The sido edges of the horizontal strips 15 are beveled .to fitl thebeveled edges 12 and the. edges ot the vertical strips 14 at the side'of the door section are made concave to [it the halt round lil, asclearly `shown in Figs. 6 and i'. vThe members 14 are preferablyslightly thinner than the halt' round 13, above mentioned, so' that atight yjoint may be formed, as hier(4 nafter more fully set forth. TheonterQvertiCal strip or .member 14, at each side ot the door section.

isslidably mounted on the body ot thc dou section in the followingmanner: .X verti cal plate or metal strip 16 is seci'ired to cachslidable member 14 on the outer surface at the edge thereof, adjarenttothe side' at the silo door opening'in such position and :nanner thatwhen forced laterally v-fith the member '14, it tends to dra tliemembers l outwardly, th-us'forniivg a veryv iight icint. Secured toeachy upright strip 14. which is adjacent to the movable strip 14, aivi-*ier plate 17 which cxtcnds from the top to bottom of the doorsection and i. of suflicicii width to overlap the movable section 14 andto cover the gap between the movable .section 14 and the adjacent fixedstrip if.. Mounted on each movable strip 14,;ippr'oximately at thecenter thereof, is a metal block or body 18 havingv a laterally`cit-tending vflange 153 which is secured to the movable flange 19 isprovided with a horizontal clone,

Extending through each movable member 14 and through themetal Vstrip 16,through the slot 20, to'a point outside of the flange 19, is a bolt 22.A t the outer end of the bolt 22, adj acont to the flange 19, is a7Washer 23 having its inner surfacerough, as shown in Fig. 6, to engagethe corrugated portion 21 of the flange 19. On the outer end of the bolt22 is a nut 24. It will, therefore, beseen that` the flange 19 of theblock or body 18 is secured vto the movable strip 14 on each side ofeach door section by means of the bolt.' 22 and that the body 18 and theflange 19 may be adjusted laterally with relation to the movable strip14 by lloosening the nut 24 and the bolt 22 and sliding the body 18 andflange 19 laterally. The purpose of the elongated slot 20 is now seen.Formed in the block or body 18 is a horizontal opening provided With ascrew thread 25 of' very wide pitch. On each. of the vertical strips 14of the door section, adjacent to the movable strip 14 on each. side ofthe door section is a block or body 26 having a laterally extendingflange 27 secured to the strip 17 and the fixed member 14. Rotatablymounted in the block 26, on each side of each door section, is a shaft28 Which is also extended through the opening in the block 18 and isprovided With a screw thread 29 having a pitch to correspond to thepitch of the screw thread 25.

Connecting the shafts 28, and preferably' :formed integral therewith,are crank arms 30, connected by a rod 31. lThe outer portion of theflange ,27 is concave, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, and formed on theupper and lower portion of each flange 27 are shoulders 32 and 33. Theshoulder 32 is so constructed and located that when the crank 30 and therod 31 are at the upward limit 'of their movement, the cranks 30 willrest against the shoulder 32, thereby holding the rod 31 slight-lyspaced apart from the vertical members .14 of the door section. Theshoulder 33 extends outwardly farther than the shoulder 32 so that whenthe cranks 30 are in the lower position of their movement., the cranks30 will be held in position eX- tendingdownwardly and slightly outwardlyfrom the silo, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 1, thereby forming a ladder..At the bottom of each door section, the members`14 and,

15 are beveled to form a channel, preferably having the form of aninverted V, in cross section, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and at the topof each door section, said members 14 and 15 are beveled from theiroutsides upwardly to their insides to fit said channel. At their upperends, the plates or strips 17 are inclined upwardly and inwardly at 35to fit into the channel heretofore mentioned and also to cover the spacebetween the movable and fixed door members, as shown in Fig.

In the practical use of my improved door sect-ions, each section isplaced in position from inside the silo with the rod. 31 at the upwardposition of its movement. The members heretofore described are soarranged that When the rod 31 is then moved to the lower position of itsmovement, the movable member 14 Will be moved to position adjacent tothe jamb of the silo door, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Inthis connection,it may be noted that the strip 16 extends slightly beyond the movablemember 14 so as to engage the outer surface of the silo Wall, as shownin Fig. 6, when the door section is in lposition and the doo-r ope-nasherinbefore mentioned. By means of the slot in the flange 1? andthe'bolt 22, the body 18 may be adjusted laterally relative -to themovable member 14, thereby enabling me to move the movable member 14just the rightv distance to make the door section fit the door' opening.The flange 19 is so con,- structed and arranged that when' the doorsections are installed in a silo or other structure, they engage thebeveled outer edges of the door frame, as shown in Figs. 3, and 7,thereby locking the door sections in position and helping to draw themembers. 15 against the frame for forming a tight joint. Vhen the doorsection is in place, the silo is filled with ensilage 36. It Will benoted that the space bet-Ween the movable and fixed members 14 islcovered by the plate 17 and atthe upper end of each section, saidVspace is covered by the portion 35 of the plate 17. i

The shape of the edges of the door sections may be changed as desired solong as tight joints are formed between the adjacent sections, and solong as the edges of the door sections snugly fit the edges of the dooropening. It will also be noticed that the movable side member iscentrally pivoted so that if the door opening is not exactlyperpendicular, the movable members will still fit properly.

It Will be understood that many variations may be made in the details ofconstruction of my improved silo door, it being my intention to coverany form of the device included Within the scope of the appended claims.The advantage-s of' my improved silo door are numerous.

`One of the chief problems in silo construction 'is to secure a tightjoint around the door. I secure this by the form of the edges of thedoor opening and of the door sections andby means of the slidable ormoyablc members 14. Another problem which 1S always met in siloconstructionis that of providmg for expansion when the sllage heats.

'ith m door, the cranks 30 are made of metal w iich has some resiliencyand in case of ex ansion said cranks may be sprung slight y, therebyavoiding any breaking of the parts.

My improved door is quickly and easily installed in position, is ofcomparatively simple and durable construction and enables me to secure averv tight joint. The crank arms 30 and the connecting rod 31 not onlyserve for the purpose of giving me considerable leverage for operatingthe movable members 14, but they also form a ladder used on silos. Theupper door sections may be easily and readily removed as the ensilage istaken from the silo, or shoved up and left in the openings.

In the following claims I have designated the movable strips 14 assealing strips for the reason that they serre the pur iose of engagingthe inner edges of the silo t oor frame and forming a tight joint orseal with the frame.

The combination of the resilient shaft with its crank the movablesealing stri is and the screw thread connection between t ie strips andends of the shaft, serves to produce a very advantageous result. in thatwhen the silo door is in place and the silo expands the sealing stripswill inevitabl be pushed inwardly towar( cach other. I the connectionbetween the shaft and the sealing strips were such that this inwardpressure would operate to elevate the crank, then when the silo againexpanded the sealing strips would possibly not follow outwardly andmaintain a tightly sealed joint, but on account of the fact that thescrew conncction is immovable against pressure upon the outer edges ofthe sealing strips, then when this pressure is applied, the resilientshaft will yield at the crank and thus avoid any injury to the parts.then when contraction of the silo takes place the yielding crank willoperate to cause the scaling strips to move outwardly and maintain atight joint a ith tbc edges of the silo door.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a silo door, of sealing strips at the side edgesthereof, capable of movement outwardly to en ya ve the limer faces of asilo door frame, au a so capable of moving inwardlv away from suolisealing engagement, a shaft made of resilient material rotatably mountedon the Silo door and bowed to form a crank member or handle capable ofilse as a ladder. there being a spiral screw connection between the endsof the shaft and the said sealing strips whereby when the crank memberor handle is elevated the sealing strips will be moved inwardly and whenthe crank member or handle is moved downwardly toward position for useas a ladder the sealing strips will be moved outwardly to engage theinner edges of a door frame and` to form a tight joint therewith andwhereby the said sealing strips will be locked by said spiral screwthreads against movement toward each other by pressure upon the outeredges of the sealing strips.

Q. '.llie combination with a silo door, of sealinr strips at the sideedges thereof, capable of movement outwardly to engage the inner facesof a silo door frame, and also capable of moving inwardly away from suchsealing engagement, a shaft made of resilient material rotatably mountedon the silo door and bowed to form a crank member or handle. capable ofuse as a ladder, there bc'- ing a spiral screw connection between theends of the shaft and the said sealing strips whereby when the crankmember or handle is elevated the scaling strips will be moved inwardlyand when the crank member or handle is moved downwardly toward positionfor use. as a ladder the sealingstrips will be moved outwardly to engagethe inner edges of a door frame and to form a tight joint therewith, andwhereby the said scaling strips will be locked by said spiral screwthreads against movement toward each other by pressure upon the outeredges of the. sealing strips, and means for adjusting the said sealingstrips relative to the said spiral screw connections.

3. The combination with a silo door, of scaling strips designed toengage the inner edges of a door opening, a srliaft rotatably mounted onthe silo door having a craint member or handle capable of use as aladder` lugs fixed to the sealing strips and provided with projectionsdesigned to overlap the exterior of a silo door frame, said lugs beingalso provided with screw threaded openings and the ends of said shaftbeing screw threaded and inserted in the said screw threaded o ienings,and said parts being so arranged tiat when the crank member or handle isin an elevated position the sealing strips and lugs will be disengagedfrom the silo door frame and when the crank member or handle is loweredto position for use as a ladder the sealing strips will form a scalingconnection with the inner faces of a door frame and the lu .rs willoverlap the exterior of a siio at the door frame and prevent inwardmovement of the door.

Des Moines, Iowa, November 25, 1912.

ALBERT I-l. RICE.

Witnesses:

M. TALL/ion, L. Roamson.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of rate'nts. Washington, D. 0.

